There was no messing around with weak early-season opponents for the Albert Lea Elks 14-and-under traveling baseball team.

Friday, June 15, 2001

There was no messing around with weak early-season opponents for the Albert Lea Elks 14-and-under traveling baseball team.

The schedule was tough from the outset. And the locals have been up to the challenge.

The Elks team has won two of its first three games, including a victory over the defending league champs and a one-run loss to last year’s league runners-up.

In the opener, the Albert Lea boys overwhelmed Austin UBC 16-1.

Nate Brackey was 4-for-4, Pete Bracker 2-for-4 with two RBIs, Ryan Truesdell 2-for-3. Travis Klatt, Preston Dahl, Donald Graves and Brock Sorenson had one hit apiece. Brandon Klukow pitched four shutout innings for the win.

&uot;This was an excellent first game defensively and pitching, with a good effort at the plate,&uot; said coach Dave Klatt.

The locals were nipped 3-2 by Mankato Red, the No. 2 team in the league last year.

Brackey was 2-for-3 with a double. Dahl, Sorenson and Graves each had one hit. Klukow gave up no runs on one hit, with seven strikeouts and no walks; Graves allowed three runs on three hits.

Next was defending league champ Mankato Black, which the Elks team defeated 4-2.

Bracker, Ryan Truesdell, Brackey and Sorenson each had a hit. Dahl and Graves combined to give up five hits, with five strikeouts and one walk.

Missing the Mankato Black game were Travis Klatt, Klukow and Cory Frerk.

&uot;This was a tremendous game for our players, with no errors in the field and superb pitching,&uot; said Coach Klatt. &uot;We bunched together the hits when we needed to.&uot;

The rest of the team includes Jerrod Stadheim, Nate Goodnature, Zach Hansen and Tyler Hoenish.

Klatt is assisted by Barry Dahl.